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1778 Northern Campaign American AAR (56k beware)

Sat Aug 05, 2006 8:08 pm

Background
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Objectives
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We have 2 big worries as of April of 1778, the British have Henry Clinton's large army in Philadelphia and another large army in New York possibly with Charles Grey commanding. Our only sizable force is Washington's outside of Philadelphia in Reading. He may be able to siege Clinton and wrest control of the capital away from the British, but we'll have to lure some of his force away from Philadelphia for that to happen.

Our primary goal for this season is to retake Philadelphia while containing Grey's force in New York. Avoiding getting crushed between the 2 British armies is paramount. Secondary goals include pushing a small British force out of Newport in Rhode Island and preparing for a march to and siege of Oswego. This scenario lasts 2 years (24 turns).
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April 1778
The situation in the Philadelphia and New York area. The 2 large British armies will have to be lured out of the cities and manuevered around and fought only in favorable situations. Where possible, militia will be detached to defend forts and cities to keep areas from being easy pickings for the British.
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The situation in and around Oswego. Troops from other areas or newly raised troops will be needed to complete this secondary objective. Hopefully the large area of Indians to the south will stay out of this as I don't have the men to pin them down and fight the British.
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A reinforcement of French troops is expected, they are very much needed.



May 1778
Midmonth, a British force led by Valentine Jones attempted a breakout out of Newport and was repulsed by Nathaniel Greene in Providence.
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Unfortunately, news out of Rhode Island is that Nathaniel Greene was killed at the battle of Providence. The British and I have relatively equal sized armies around Newport. A siege is probably premature right now, so I'll have to be happy with trying to contain the British for now.
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There is still a rather large force in Philadelphia consisting of Cornwallis and possibly some Hessians. Clinton has taken a small force out of Philadelphia and marched west to Lancaster. Undefended, it falls to the British.
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It does appear that some of the force from New York has been piecemeal sent out of New York into New Jersey to capture Princeton. Another small British force has left New York towards New England.

American George R. Clark was set loose into the Ohio wilderness and he successfully took Ft. Miamis.

Washington has 2 plans before him.

Leave Reading and maneuver to Princeton and prehaps threaten the force at New York while trying to better his intelligence on the force still in Philadelphia. This might also draw the British out of Philadelphia and maybe even New York. He would cross the upper Deleware into Maidenhead and move on Princeton from the north. A small force commanded by Charles Lee would stay behind to secure Reading. The possibility of being caught between a force from New York and Philadelphia is not appealing.

Or, march west to assault Clinton's army in Lancaster while leaving behind a small force commanded by Charles Lee to secure Reading.

The opportunity to strike a blow to Clinton on the Susquehanna is too enticing. Washington will march to Lancaster.
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Eager to strike a blow against the British, Louis de Portail will move out of the Peekskills towards Ridgefield in Westchester to determine the size of the British force there and to drive them out. Better intelligence on the army still in New York is needed.
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In the north, a band of irregulars is moving towards Ft. Ticonderoga. Ticonderoga is well defended and this British move should be of little consequence.

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Sat Aug 05, 2006 8:41 pm

June 1778
Portail was decimated. He apparently ran into a large British detachment leaving New York for New England. He retreated but was pursued relentlessly. Suffering 2 more attacks as he attempted to retreat, his army is no more. Louis de Portail has gone to Albany to recover from his injuries and horrible losses. Once recovered, he will be sent to Fort Stanwix to assess the situation for a move on Oswego.
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Washington was successful in driving Clinton out of Lancaster but suffered more losses than were hoped.
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Lee's garrison of Reading is now under siege. The British siege force does not have the size to concern the defenders. A sortie outside the walls is being considered. The British have also now taken Trenton.
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Good news from New England after Portail's terrible loss, Admiral d'Estaing has arrived with French reinforcements.
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d'Estaing and his generals will disembark at New London to counter the British push into New England from New York. The British blew open the door to New England when they destroyed Portail's army in Westchester. A possible divison of the French force may be used. This would involve sending Rochambeau to conduct a siege on Newport while the other half of the French force mops up in Hartford and moves to Ridgefield in Westchester to seal the opening to New England.
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Washington will pursue Clinton and then move north to Reading to break the siege and recombine the 2 armies. Something needs to be done to weaken Philadelphia if we are to make any sort of move on the city this season. Losing cities in New Jersey while I chase Clinton around Pennsylvania will not work. We need to maneuver around Philadelphia to the north to be in position to retake cities in New Jersey and to be in position to threaten both Philadelphia and New York.
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Sat Aug 05, 2006 9:33 pm

July 1778

Ft. Ticonderoga was easily defended from a British assault.

Portail arrived at Ft. Stanwix and has gathered a sizable force to move on Oswego. A decision needs to be made soon on Oswego. Portail would have to start the siege very soon to avoid a possible winter campaign.

Washington drove Clinton back to Philadelphia and broke the siege of Reading. He has recombined his army with Charles Lee's in Reading.
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The British have moved a signifcant number of forces out of New York to capture the surrounding cities. These forces are small individually and need to be countered by Washington. If those forces can be engaged, more may be dispatched from New York or Philadelphia further weakening the city defenses. A plan involving Washington moving to Easton or Morristown is forming.
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After disembarking the French troops, the British Navy showed up under Howe at Buzzard Bay. Having landed everyone including all the French commanders, the leaderless French navy suffered a defeat and was forced to withdraw to seek shelter in the New London port.
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With the developments in New York, Rochambeau will not split his force, but will march north, then west to retake Hartford. He will be in position to counter any moves out of New York towards New England. Newly raised forces in New England will assemble in Providence to keep the British in Newport pinned down. Rochambeau's army should be large enough to counter the British in New York if they should reassemble. The American militia and continentals under Israel Putnam and James Clinton will mop up any British detachments still roaming around freely in New England and keep the garrison in Newport pinned down.
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Arguments between Putnam and Clinton for a siege of Newport are rumored as American power gathers in Providence. Many Americans had believed Rochambeau and the French would be the ones to press the siege, now he is headed in the opposite direction. Evicting the British from New England is tough to resist.



Using a similar plan to the discarded May 1778 plan to move on Princeton, Washington will set out from Reading towards Maidenhead hopefully to make contact with and destroy some of the smaller British forces from New York. He will then turn back to the south and retake Princeton. A last minute change in the plan has Washington instead of moving to Newark from Maidenhead, moving directly south to Princeton from Maidenhead, and then on to retake Trenton. There is some fear of a large scale movemnt out of New York or a reconcentration of forces from New York intercepting Washington in newark, so it will be avoided. Charles Lee will once again command a small garrison force in Reading.
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In the north, Portail will move out of Ft. Stanwix towards Oswego into Oneida to determine the size of the defending garrison in Oswego. He will then make his decision to either assault Oswego or move back to Ft. Stanwix and wait out the winter before trying again. More continentals are being sent towards Ft. Stanwix from Albany for the eventual assault on Oswego whether it comes this year or next.
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Sat Aug 05, 2006 9:47 pm

A couple of comments:

This is my first campaign other than the first 12 turns of the full war the demo offered. I've only played the demo and I ran through the short 4 or 6 turn scenarios from the full game a few times, so I'm still learning how things work. If I make any obvious mistakes, please post 'em so I can learn from them. Or if you have any general comments or suggestions on what I'm doing, I'd love to hear them.

Other than that, I'm enjoying this game quite a bit and want to praise ageod for making and supporting such a great game :coeurs:

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Sat Aug 05, 2006 10:23 pm

August 1778

Once again a British detachment from Philadelphia has taken Lancaster and moved to seige Reading. Washington met no resistance and retakes Princeton and Trenton. The British took undefended Easton.
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Rochambeau's large army has checked the British move into New England from New York. They have withdrawn back towards NY. Hartford was abandoned before Rochambeau arrived and New Haven is also reported to have been abandoned. It seems we have someone the British fear.
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Oswego is undefended. It appears that it's garrison has moved to the south, possibly to join up with the Indians. Portail will move into Oswego with all haste giving him an easy victory to ease his wounds. The continentals sent from Albany will stay as a garrison in Ft. Stanwix for the winter.
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A new British army has appeared in the north near Ft. Ticonderoga. Again, reports indicate it is too small to successfully siege Ticonderoga.



Washington will move back to Reading well North of Philadelphia to break the Siege. A shift in strategy is needed. I'm chasing the British around rather than forcing them to chase me. Grasping at plans that were incubating earlier in the Summer, Washington will most likely try for one last move before winter. He will head north to retake Easton and depending on the weather and resistance, perhaps on to Morristown to help Rochambeau further threaten New York. A hard decision on whether or not to completely abandon Pennsylvania will have to be made. A garrison left behind may slow or confuse the British, but if they choose to siege that garrison with full force, it cannot hope to hold out.
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Rochambeau will march towards New York, regardless of Washington's plans, trying to engage the much smaller British forces on the way. He will stop short of New York city itself to determine the British numbers there before assaulting.


James Clinton and Israel Putnam will leave Providence and siege the British at Newport. A risky move, it was vigorously debated between the two. Fully controlling the New England region is just too tempting.

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Sun Aug 06, 2006 2:19 am

September 1778

Clinton has unexpectedly moved the bulk of his forces away from Philadelphia into the siege on Reading. When Washington arrived, he was repulsed and lucky to be able to retreat from the battle. Calling it a stalemate seems a bit optimistic.
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Washington will need to retire for this season to regroup and replace his losses. Charles Lee will most likely have to try and abandon Reading due to the overwhelming force outside the city. Also, Indian raiders have moved into the area and are raising havoc. Abandoning the Philadelphia area may be our only option.
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Better news a little further north. The British scatter before Rochambeau, even going so far as to pull out of New York leaving behind only a token garrison. Some British went north, but the majority moved towards Philadelphia to take up the garrison vacated by Clinton.

Rochambeau seizes the situation and marches towards New York city. He will need to be quick to avoid a winter siege, but that shouldn't be a problems considering the small British force inside the city. If Rochambeau is successful, a consolidation of New England should be possible. A broad push to retake Pennsylvania next season would be likely. Also, from West Point Benedict Arnold will detach some militia to take Stony Point.
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From Albany, a sortie will be made across the Hudson into Hoseck to attack a British unit that fled from Rochambeau.
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In other bad news, the siege of Newport was a disaster. The size of the British force was unkown and they sortied and pushed Clinton and Putnam back to Providence. Erring on the side of caution will now be the norm when dealing with Newport.
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Clinton and Putnam will need reinforcement if they are to hold the much stronger than expected British force in Newport for the Winter. The British absolutely need to be tied down in Newport while Rochambeau is assaulting New York. Militia and continentals are moved to Providence.
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In the wilderness, undefended Oswego is taken by Portail, but the British force that was seen moving south towards the Indian tribes turned east and took Ft. Stanwix after moving south around Oneida Lake. The leaderless Ft. Stanwix garrison put up a meager fight before retreating to Dayton.


Washington's plan for this month will be to move to Easton and then on to Morristown, most likely for the winter. This probably should have done several months ago. Charles Lee will try to vacate Reading and move to Easton. Depending on the situation, he may move to Morristown to rejoin Washington as well. If he cannot disengage, he has orders to hold Reading through the winter.
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Pocus
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Sun Aug 06, 2006 8:19 am

good show I must say. I gather from the new indian behavior that you are playing 1.09 AI ?
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Hofstadter's Law: "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's law."

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Sun Aug 06, 2006 8:44 am

Great stuff!

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Sun Aug 06, 2006 3:30 pm

Pocus wrote:good show I must say. I gather from the new indian behavior that you are playing 1.09 AI ?


Yes, I have the latest 1.09 patch. I had no idea the behavior was new as the whole game is new to me :hat:

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Sun Aug 06, 2006 4:18 pm

October 1778

Retreating out of Reading was not possible. Lee tried but Clinton's siege has Reading surrounded making withdrawal impossible.
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Charles Lee will stay and defend the city. Hopefully the weather will frustrate Clinton where Washington and Lee could not. George Washington arrived in Morristown via Easton unopposed. He will spend the winter there recouping his losses. Come Spring, he will try to join with Rochambeau in New York hopefully sealing off Clinton in the Philadelphia area.
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Just as quickly as the Indian raids appeared, they have gone. I guess there's only so much to burn down at these small cities and forts.

Finally for this region, a group of militia from Wyoming will attempt to march undetected to retake Lancaster.



Rochambeau continues to see the British flee before him. He waltzed into New York City without a shot fired. Once he was firmly established, the Birtish did manage a counterattack, but the effort was defeated.
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Rochambeau will construct a fort and winter in New York City. One can only ponder what the British had in mind when they evacuated the city. Were they truly that frightened of Rochambeau's approach? Considering many that left New York went towards Philadelphia and the siege of Reading, were the British afraid of Washington's movements and intentions in the area? Did they just want to crush Lee that badly?
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Arnold's detached milita took Stony point and will attempt to hold the fort.


The British force that took Ft. Stanwix is continuing their offensive. They are now moving towards Dayton. Dayton should be able to hold. Just in case they don't or the British decide to bypass Dayton and move to Albany, Albany's garrison, which was sent into Hoseck to finish off the small pockets of British stragglers that left New York City, will be recalled to Albany.
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As 1778 is drawing to a close, a reevaluation of our goals is needed. Obviously we will not be driving the British out of Philadelphia as Washington had intended through maneuver. Instead, we have taken New York City where we had only hoped to contain the British. Perhaps an even trade. If New England can raise a large amount of soldiers for next year, we should be able to defend New England and quite possibly threaten Clinton's force enough to drive him out of Philadelphia maybe further South or into the Ohio wilderness with his Indian allies.

A wary eye is watching for British reinforcement from the Sea or the North. The French fleet is currently anchored in New York City.

It probably was a mistake to split Washington's force. If Charles Lee survives the siege at Reading, it will truly be a miracle. As it is, Washington is weakened at Morristown and counting on Rochamebeau's capture of New York City to draw attention away from him. Dispatches between the two are rapid and numerous.

Our secondary objective of taking Oswego was a success despite losing Ft. Stanwix. An attempt to retake the fort will be made next Spring.

Our other secondary goal of evicting the British from Newport was not achieved. We can take comfort in the fact that they seem pinned down there. It is too late in the season for them to attempt another breakout, so with new recruits and a new season, this goal should be attainable in 1779.

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Sun Aug 06, 2006 10:32 pm

November 1778

The first major snows herald the coming of winter. They are very much welcomed as we need a chance to recover losses. The snows should discourage lengthy British sieges.
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Clinton has lifted the siege of Reading and pulled back to Philadelphia perhaps fearing the onsetting winter and the unkown whereabouts of Washington. Either way, the miracle needed has been delivered to Charles Lee, leader of the garrison at Reading.
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After abandoning New York City before Rochambeau's arrival, Charles Grey has now gathered his scattered British force and is marching back towards New York City. Does Grey intend to Siege New York City this Winter? His intentions were as preplexing when he abandoned the city as they are now. Had only this Rochambeau fellow arrived earlier, this war would be won and over with.
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Something is up in Ohio. Indian bands including Joseph Brandt are again moving and attacking various forts in the wilderness even going so far as to massacre colonists at Fort Arnold. Also there are some British troops moving in the area. A possible move to retake Oswego or a general assault on the Mohawk River Forts may be brewing. They will be fighting the harsh weather as well as the defenders. The defending Americans should have little to fear until the Spring. The British that took Ft. Stanwix several months ago have now set up a siege on Dayton.
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In New England, a poorly lead British attack on Springfield in Deerfield, just to the north of Hartford, was turned aside.


What to do with Charles Lee and the city of Reading?

It is now decision time on whether to abandon the area leaving behind only militia to hold cities, or to stay and defend any renewed movements out of Philadelphia.
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Grey's consolidated movement towards New York City has to be countered. In addition, Lee's force is too weak to defend against direct attack from Clinton out of Philadelphia. Lee will make a winter march to rejoin Washington in Morristown.
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Sun Aug 06, 2006 11:57 pm

December 1778
As expected, a rather quiet month. The upcoming ending of enlistments for many regiments is weighing heavily on the American commanders.


Another small British attack on Springfield, north of Hartfod, is turned aside.


The British have abandoned their siege on Dayton. They seem intent on doing something this winter though, as they marched to Oswego without stopping at Ft. Stanwix. They are not as of yet sieging Oswego, but they are in the area. Inside Oswego, Portail keeps watch on developments.
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Portail's army defending Oswego
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The Indians seem happy with random attacks and raids on wilderness outposts, thankfully no coordinated attacks from them have been reported.



The British and Charles Grey have thought better of challenging Rochambeau in New York City this Winter. Grey has pulled back to spend the winter in Princeton.

Charles Lee made his move out of Reading through the snow covered countryside. While his march was not conducted as fast as would have been liked, he was well supplied and rejoined Washington in Morristown without encountering any British or suffering any casualties due to weather.
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The British siege of Stony Point continues despite the harsh weather.


The only offensive action for this month will be John Glover leading his regiment from Albany to retake Brattleboro and Pittsfield. Both are reported to be empty.
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Glover's Marblehead regiment
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An uneventful winter is expected after a grueling summer campaign.

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Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:25 pm

January 1779

Winter snows blanket the entire area.
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Charles Grey seems to have given up command of the army outside of New York. The reason why and his whereabouts are unknown. His army is now commanded by Alexander Leslie and once again it has been seen marching north towards New York City out of Princeton. One wonders if these reports can be true considering the harshness of this winter.
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What the British could not do at Stony Point, enlistment commitments did for them. The militia defending Stony Point disbanded as did many other all across the area. Replacements are needed and not being raised fast enough.


Near Albany, Brattleboro and Pittsfield were indeed abandoned and retaken for the Americans by John Glover and his marblehead regiment. Glover will return to Albany.


It looks as though the British have retreated from the Mohawk all the way back to Niagra. Ft. Stanwix is abandoned. Some continentals will be dispatched from Dayton to regarrison it. What the Indians are up to is anyone's guess.
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A plan for a small fast moving raid from Morristown, lead by George Washington, into Center Valley and the city of Easton was rejected. Considering the proximity of Leslie's large force and the harsh weather, it was decided to stay put in Morristown until the weather improves.

Control of the area as 1778 ends and plans for 1779 are made.
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New York will be held by Rochambeau. Possibly some of Washington's force in Morristown will be sent to bolster the defense if New York City is threatened. If it is determined New York City can be held without much reinforcement, a push on Philadelphia to retake the capital will be made. Also, an attempt will be made to strengthen Oswego's defenders in addition to a possible campaign into Indian territory.

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Tue Aug 08, 2006 8:18 am

strange that Leslie is moving in winter, as he don't have any supply trains. This can certainly be optimized...
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Hofstadter's Law: "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's law."

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Tue Aug 08, 2006 2:55 pm

February 1779

New regiments have been raised across the area.

Where Charles Grey failed and abandoned New York City before Rochambeau, Alexander Leslie seems determined to turn things around immediately for the British. He has moved to attack Morristown.
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On January 14th, despite the blowing snow and freezing temperatures, Leslie mounted an attack. The fighting raged for hours, the brunt of which was borne by militia. Few casualties resulted and Washington still controls Morristown.
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Washington abandoing last month's proposed raid into Center Valley seems to have been the correct decision considering Leslie's move on Morristown.

Besieged Morristown's lengthy list of commanders
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A decision has been made to send some of the commanders inside sieged Morristown out from the city to lead newly raised regiments in the area. Lafayette will be sent across the Hudson River to Hartford to command a small but growing force that will be used to threaten Peekskill and Ridgefield.
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Daniel Morgan will covertly make his way from Morristown to New York City to command newly formed regiments there. These will be used to strengthen New York City's defenses and they may join with Lafayette's regiments in the Summer to retake Peekskill and Ridgefield.
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John Glover will be dispatched south from Albany to reinforce Benedict Arnold at West Point.


Ft. Stanwix, near Oswego, is once again in American hands. As reported, it was abandoned by the British. A united line of defense on the Mohawk River has been established. Developing a plan to push into Indian territory will require additional regiments which currently cannot be spared from elsewhere. Until more new regiments can be raised, an offensive there will be delayed.

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March 1779

A possible early start to Spring as Winter snows melt.
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Daniel Morgan arrived safely in New York City to take command of several new regiments.

Lafayette arrived just in time at Hartford to lead an attack on a British supply train passing through the area.


Leslie has now moved his army to Stony Point leaving Morristown well before his siege accomplished anything. His zeal to rectify Charles Grey's mistakes may be his undoing. His losses outside of Morristown due to the weather must have been significant for him to pull out to Stony Point.

Clinton has moved out of Philadelphia north to Princeton. It would look as though the British have intentions to retake New York City this season.

Even though Washington's losses are not fully recovered, now may be the time to begin maneuvering around to the West to possibly trap the British armies between New York and Philadelphia.

Consulting with the numerous commanders at Morristown, Washington has decided on an initial strategy. He will move out en masse to Easton. Daniel Morgan will leave New York City with his new regiments to enter Morristown and garrison the city. From there, Morgan will launch raids to retake undefended British controlled cities and forts in the area.

While in Easton, Washington will try to decipher Clinton's intent and then decide on the Summer strategy. Will Clinton continue towards New York? Or will he pull back to Philadelphia if he learns of Washington leaving Morristown to the south?

From Easton, Washington will either proceed south to retake Reading and possibly Philadelphia, or he will pull back to Morristown to help defend New York City and launch an offensive to retake and fortify all of the Hudson River.
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Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:53 pm

April 1779

Daniel Morgan arrived in Morristown and fought a skirmish against a Birtish force that had moved in after Washington left. Morgan was victorious and the British vacated.

Like Charles Grey, Alexander Leslie now appears to have been dismissed of his command by the British. It is reported Leslie now commands a rather small force that has taken Lancaster for the British once again.

Clinton moved north from Princeton towards New York City while what was Leslie's army is still encamped at Stony Point. An all out assault on New York City looks probable.
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Washington arrived in Easton unopposed. From Easton Washington can either move towards undefended Princeton, undefended Reading, the lightly Hessian defended Philadelphia, or pull back to threaten any siege of New York City.

The opportunity to retake the capital is one that cannot be passed up, Washington will strike Philadelphia. The French fleet will leave New York and sail to Delaware Bay in an attempt to engage the British fleet which was reported near Chesapeake Bay. Daniel Morgan will set out south from Morristown to retake Princeton, then cross the Delaware to join Washington in Philadelphia.
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No movements in the New England area will be made until the last of the winter snows have melted. Along the Mohawk, soldiers are digging in for any British or Indian counterattack.

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Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:34 pm

May 1779

Clinton attacks New York City in the early April mud and is stalemated.
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New York City is now under siege. The French fleet, having missed the British as they sailed for New York, will turn around and sail back to New York City.
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Washington moves on Philadelphia and takes the capital easily from the Hessians! Daniel Morgan's follow on force moves to secure the city while Washington chases down the garrison outside the city.



June 1779

In the West, G.R. Clark was forced to abandon Ft. Miamis. He will move back to Pittsburgh to recover his losses.



The French fleet fights to a stalemate with the British fleet under Howe. Howe withdraws to the east up the coast.
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Von knyphausen left Stony Point as the new commander of what was Leslie's army to join Clinton. Rochambeau and New York City are now under siege from the combined British army.
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The American moves for June are still being planned.

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Sat Aug 12, 2006 8:38 pm

June 1779
(continued)

Considering we now control the major objectives, no major offensive moves will be made this month.
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July 1779

Various British forces have moved to take undefended cities in the New York City/Philadelphia area. Washington will move to retake Princeton.
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Arthur St. Clair will lead an attack out of Albany in hopes of lessening the various widespread British forces fanning out into New England..
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The British siege on New York City is huge, a decision needs to be made whether or not to relieve them or how best to evacuate the city. They cannot hold out until Autumn.

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August 1779

Clinton's siege finally takes New York City.
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The situation there was hopeless considering the size of Clinton's army.
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Rochambeau is indeed not invincible. He has been wounded and is now recovering in Albany.


St. Clair will move south along the Hudson river to Peekskill while
Lafayette sorties out of Hartford.
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How best to combat this behemoth British army in New York City leads to feelings of hoplessness. Can this war be won?



September 1779

The British will take the fight to us, Clinton moves out of New York City to Siege Washington at Princeton. Washington's disillusionment quickly vanishes as he now must prepare a major defense.
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St. Clair will move to undefended Stony Point, just north of New York City along the Hudson. Hopefully this will threaten lightly garrisoned New York City enough for Clinton to send some of his army away from the siege at Princeton.

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October 1779

In an unexpected move, Clinton withdraws entirely from the Princeton siege. Washington will pull back to protect Philadelphia and recover losses while Lee will move to Easton.
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The situation around New York City
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A last minute change in plans considering the meager defense at New York City. Charles Lee will not move to Easton, but make a quick dash from Philadelphia into New York City. He should arrive before the end of the month. A risky plan, but something needs to be done to keep the British off guard.

Clinton, having given up command of the army at Stony Point, has taken a small force and moved towards New England. Perhaps this signals a larger British move into the region.

Lafayette will try to intercept Clinton to the south of Hartford.
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In the face of such a gigantic force at Stony Point, Benedict Arnold will withdraw from West Point to Albany.



November 1779

Charles Lee was Initially successful at New York City...
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...but he will have to be evacuated by sea after then losing a battle outside New York City.
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Henry Knox was killed. Charles Lee has retreated to Brooklyn to board the waiting French Fleet. Clinton moved back from his foray into New England to retake command of the large British army. It seems as though the British knew what we were up to.
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Charles Lee will return with the remnants of his army to Philadelphia.
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Benedict Arnold returns to West Point from Albany, the danger to the fort having lessened.

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type7
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Sat Aug 12, 2006 9:33 pm

December 1779
Lee withdraws successfully to Philadelphia.

As winter snows accumulate, little action is expected.
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January 1780
Expectations were wrong. Philadelphia is now under siege.
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Regiments disband all over the region as their enlistments are up. We are in for a rough winter if the British begin a large scale offensive now.



February 1780

The British are indeed mounting a Winter offensive. Lafayette loses Hartford.
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The siege at Philadelphia continues.
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Things couldn't possibly get much worse.

Benedict Arnold TREASON! at West Point. Arnold has vanished from West Point, but it is found out through a captured messenger that he gave away to the British Charles Lee's plan to dash to New York City. He will hang for this.

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type7
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Sat Aug 12, 2006 10:27 pm

March 1780

Wanting to press their advantage and crush the rebellion, the British assault George Washington at Philadelphia. Both sides refuse to withdraw from the fight and the battle rages for hours.
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Washington retains control of the capital!


April 1780
As the scenario draws to a close, Washington, like Charles Lee before him, will attempt a daring plan to march to New York City from Philadelphia to take the city before the end of the month. Reckless and ill advised, the plan nevertheless goes forward.


May 1780
Washington takes New York City!
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Victory!
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We control all 3 objective cities and 9 out of 11 strategic towns.
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Control in the area actually looks a bit worse than when we started 2 years ago. This was expected considering the British forces were concentrated in only 3 cities and were going to spread out some no matter what. For the most part, the British have been contained and weakened. They have lost control of their 3 objective cities, but how long we could hold New York City is anyone's guess. If the scenario hadn't ended when it did, I would not have gambled and sent Washington into New York City like that.
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Overall, a very fun game. I learned a lot about the game from this, my first long term scenario, and look forward to playing some F&I battles and the full war of independence. As others have said, it's very easy to learn, but hard to master. I hope everyone enjoyed reading my first BOA AAR :hat:

Hungry Joe
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Sun Aug 13, 2006 2:30 am

Thank you. Enjoyed reading it a lot :) Just bought the game recently myself, and it's interesting to see how somebody else plays.

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Pocus
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Sun Aug 13, 2006 7:24 am

Nice AAR yes, with a lot of details, but not too much. Can it be shown on others forums? I think the AI made a fair job and gave you some problems, and people want to know if the AI is only just a push-over or a correct opponent.
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Hofstadter's Law: "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's law."

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type7
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Sun Aug 13, 2006 4:23 pm

Yeah, it can be shown on other forums.

I thought the AI was very good. It was no push over. It didn't do anything outright dumb and it didn't seem to be completely random where it had no clue what was going on. The AI seemed to know what was important and what wasn't, and both react to and counter my moves while showing initiative in making it's own moves to force me to react.

Once I got into the game, it actually felt like I might be playing against a human opponent where I thought I could pick up on various signals giving away it's plans and intent. I might have been reading more into things than what was actually there, but it helped to create the illusion that I was playing against some*one*, not some*thing*.

The only thing that really shocked me was the British pull out from New York City. They sure were eager to get it back though.

I was playing on all the default AI settings. About halfway through, I checked the give AI more time setting. The turn structure of having everyone move at once is perfect for this era.

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Ayeshteni
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Sun Aug 13, 2006 10:15 pm

Nice AAR. Have just bought the game (will be waiting by the postbox until it arrives hehe)

AI certainly looks challenging.

Ayeshteni

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Pocus
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Mon Aug 14, 2006 8:13 am

Thanks for the report type7.
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Hofstadter's Law: "It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's law."

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